While Samsung Electronics Co. plans to sell refurbished models of the ill-fated Galaxy Note 7 smartphone in the near future, controversies surrounding the troubled model still linger, especially in terms of safety requirements, according to market watchers Saturday.
The South Korean tech giant said in March that it plans to sell refurbished Galaxy Note 7s. The production of the device was short-lived last year after some devices caught fire while charging due to battery problems. When and where the models will be released is as of yet unknown.
Under the law, Samsung can sell the refurbished models in South Korea after a basic safety examination from the Korean Agency for Technology and Standards and the National Radio Research Agency.
Galaxy Note 7 (Samsung)
The company has not yet filed applications for the product to be examined by the two agencies. Experts, however, say the refurbished Galaxy Note 7 must go through much more thorough reviews, even if it may lead to a delay in shipments.
"If Samsung makes such a request, we plan to examine and verify the safety of the device by putting users' safety as the top priority," a representative of the National Radio Research Agency said.
Industry sources said Samsung has lowered the battery capacity of the refurbished Galaxy Note 7 by 300mAh to 3,200mAh as a safety precaution.
The model is widely expected to be sold for around 700,000 won (US$620), with colors distinctive from the original edition. The number of models supposedly allotted for the South Korean market is estimated to be in the tens of thousands.
If successfully released, the refurbished Galaxy Note 7 is expected to help Samsung to strengthen its sales in its smartphone business and provide a wider choice for consumers before the presumed Galaxy Note 8 arrives. (Yonhap)
